Trevor Rogers is headed to South Beach.
The standout left-handed pitcher from Carlsbad, N.M. and the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of New Mexico was drafted by the Miami Marlins with the No. 13 overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft on Monday night.
Most draft analysts had Rogers going anywhere from No. 10 to 15 in the first round, and they were proven right. Multiple analysts had him going No. 14 to the Kansas City Royals, but the Marlins grabbed him ahead of KC.
Rogers was present in the room when his name was announced, and quickly jumped to his feet and began hugging family and other prospects when his name was called.
"Rogers is a big lefty with a long, loose arm," Jim Callis of MLB.com wrote soon after the pick was announced. "He's got a low-90s fastball that can hit 95, and his sweeping slider can be tough, especially on lefties, but needs to be more consistent.
John Manuel of Baseball America praised Rogers for possessing a mid-90s fastball "from a lower slot," comparing him to current Marlins pitcher Adam Conley.
"His fastball command is a little more advanced than the average high school pitcher," Manuel said. "His fastball velocity and fastball command are both advanced. He is a little bit older for the class. He'll turn 20 in November, but as soon as he signs he jumps to No. 1 on the Marlins prospect list."
Rogers, who has signed a LOI with Texas Tech in case he wants to pursue college baseball, is the first Carlsbad player drafted since Cody Ross in 1999.
He amassed an impressive 11-0 record and 0.33 earned run average in 63.1 innings pitched for Carlsbad High School this season, throwing four no-hitters and one perfect game (April 21 against Gadsden) along the way.
Rogers struck out 134 batters, an average of more than two strikeouts per inning and the fifth highest single season total in New Mexico history based on the records at the NMAA’s web site.
Incredibly, 71 percent of the outs recorded by Rogers this season came by strikeout (134 of 190). His microscopic ERA is the second lowest in New Mexico history, bettered only by the perfect 0.00 mark of Sandia Prep’s Joe Martinez in 2015.
Rogers also batted .394 at the plate with three homers, 26 RBI and 7 doubles, making him one of the most dangerous dual threat players in recent memory.
